Closer Brad Lidge and middle reliever Ryan Madson avoded baseball’s salary arbitration mechanism by reaching agreement on one year deals with the Phillies.

For Lidge, a recent trade acquisition from the Houston Astros, the deal means a $1 million raise and for Madson, who saw limited action last season due to right shoulder strain, a $300,000 bump.  They both also have performance bonus incentives in their deals.

This leaves only utility infielder Eric Bruntlett, who also came over in the Lidge trade, and powerful 4th year 1st baseman Ryan Howard remaining on the Phillies’ list of arbitration-eligible players.

Regarding Howard, Philly.com’s Paul Hagen wrote earlier this week;

Howard continues to be the knottiest case. Negotiations on a multiyear deal broke down last year and his contract was renewed for $900,000. He figures to make at least $7 million next season, his first year of arbitration eligibility.

MLB.com’s Ken Mandel recounts previous Phillies’ efforts to sign Howard to a long-term deal;

The Phillies explored the possibility of a long-term contract with the slugger last offseason before renewing him for $900,000.

Philadelphia will try that route again this time. But even if they don’t agree on a multiyear deal, Howard can’t become a free agent until after the 2011 season.

In an earlier column, Mandel noted that the Phils had no urgency to sign a long-term deal with Howard but, that the would like to emulate the long-term deal reached with 2nd baseman Chase Utley before last season.

Mandel indicated that either by way of a long-term deal or via a 1 year deal, Howard will get a hefty raise over last season;

Howard will get a pay increase from the $900,000 he earned last season. For comparison, the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera got a salary bump to $7.4 million from $472,000 in 2006 with the Marlins. Also, Howard will be the first baseman on Opening Day 2008 and likely well beyond that.

I just hope that there are incentives to severely reduce strikeouts in whatever deal the Phils reach with Howard as well as mandatory meetings with Hall of Fame former 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt on that issue.

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Free Agent pitcher Jon Lieber, a 20 game winner with the Chicago Cubs in  2001, rejoins the Cubs in a one year, $3.5 million deal with another $ 4 million in incentives. 

His 20-6 season in 2001 was the pinnacle of his career having pitched 232 1/3 innings and ending with a 3.80 ERA in 34 games.

Lieber underwent Tommy John surgery in 2002 and missed the 2003 season but has been free of arm problems since.  After spending the 2004 season with the New York Yankees, he signed a 3 year, $21 million deal with the Phillies and carried the staff’s most wins in 2005 with a 17-13 mark and 4.20 ERA.  In 2006, he slumped to 9-11 with a 4.93 ERA and in 2007, he was sidelined through most of the season with a ruptured tendon in his foot which required surgery and finished 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA.

While the Phillies may be glad that the nearly 38 year old Lieber is gone;  Phillies Nation’s Tim Malcolm surmises that “his best days are likely behind him — maybe in Chicago he’ll redeem himself a bit…”, the Cubs seem glad to feel that they’ve bolstered their starting pitching through his acquisition.

Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan repports the view of Cub management toward the acquisition;

“It gives us more depth with our starting pitching,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s experienced, a really good competitor, a good guy in the clubhouse and well-respected. He can come to camp and earn a spot in the rotation.”

“We’re really happy to bring back Jon Lieber,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “I think it makes a lot of sense. We’re trying to get as much volume as we can, depth-wise, into the rotation to make it more competitive in camp… You like to have seven or eight type of starters available (in spring training).”

Lieber will compete with Ryan Dempster for the No. 5 spot, with Sean Gallagher and Sean Marshall also on the periphery, assuming neither gets traded. Kevin Hart is likely to be given a chance to make the team in middle relief or long relief, Piniella said.

But whatever Lieber has left in the tank, the Phillies apparently decided that a repeat of a nearly 5.00 ERA is not a luxury they can afford.   Hopefully, he doesn’t come back to haunt the Phils either during the regular season on in the post-season play.

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It’s Wednesday night, about 12:15 AM and I’m finally getting the chance to do some housecleaning on this blog.

There have been a number of transactions; nothing major or earth-shattering, but yet newsworthy.

Firstly, the Phillies and rightfielder Jason Werth avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.7 million deal early in January.

MLB’s Ken Mandel recalls Werth’s 2007 stats and explains baseball’s arbitration mechanism;

Werth, 27, can also earn more through performance incentives. The right-handed hitter batted .298 with eight homers and a career-high 49 RBIs in 94 games in his first season with the Phillies. Werth also had nine outfield assists.

A player with between three and six years of Major League service is eligible for salary arbitration, while a certain percentage of players with between two and three years of service are classified as a “super two” and are also eligible.  [Ryan] Howard falls into the latter category.

The teams and players will exchange salary figures after Jan. 15. Like most teams, the Phillies prefer to settle cases without what is typically an unpleasant, sometimes divisive hearing.

The Phils haven’t had an arbitration hearing since 2001.

The Washington Nationals and their closer Chad Cordero beat the arbitration clock with a 1 year, $6.2 million deal reported on January 11. 

Cordero, a 5 year veteran with career stats of 128 saves, 287 strikeouts vs 114 walks in 316 1/3 innings and 2.79 ERA with a 20-14 record made nowhere near what the other Cordero made via free agency. Francisco Cordero, also a closer,  inked a 4 year, $46 million deal with the  Cincinnati Reds via free agency.

Francisco Cordero, a 9 year veteran has career stats; 177 saves, 528 strikeouts and 231 walks in 506 innings and a 3.29 ERA with a 26-27 mark.   Francisco was 0-4 with 44 saves and a 2.98 ERA in 2007 while Chad was 3-3 with 37 saves and a 3.36 ERA last season.

Veteran centerfielder Mike Cameron passed his physical and finalized a 1 year, $7 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Cameron, a gold-glover in the field, has been mediocre with the stick sporting a lifetime .252 average over his 13 season career.  In 1,560 career games, he’s struck-out 1,500 times.

Further, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy informs that;

Cameron must serve a 25-game suspension to start the season for testing positive for a banned stimulant, and when he returns the Brewers will insert him into the center field slot previously occupied by Bill Hall, who will start the season back on the infield at third base. Hall will be ousting National League Rookie of the Year third baseman Ryan Braun, who will move to left field to replace departed free agent Geoff Jenkins [signed by the Phillies].

Finally, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays pulled the trigger Tuesday on a swap of third baseman.

Scott Rolen, who started his career in Philadelphia and was thought by the Phils to be Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt’s defensive re-incarnation, has seen his career go up and down in St. Louis after standout 2003 and 2004 seasons.  Rolen was hampered in large part due to large part to a left shoulder injury that has required three operations.  In 2006 he had a fine season hitting 22 HRs with 95 RBIs and a .296 batting average in 142 games for the Cards who went on to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.  Rolen starred in the series for the Cards going 8 for 19 with 3 doubles, a homer and 5 RBIs.  He and Cards manager Tony La Russa have clashed repeatedly over the past 2 seasons.

Rolen heads to the Blue Jays in exchange for 10 year veteran third baseman Tony Glaus who has hit for power but who saw his stats plummet in 2007 due to a left foot injury which required surgery.

AP Sports Writer R.B. Fallstrom translates the deal in money terms and gives background on Rolen’s recent seasons with the Cardinals;

Rolen has three years and $36 million to go on an eight-year, $90 million deal signed in 2003, while Glaus is due $12 million this year with an $11.5 million player option for 2009.

La Russa often said he’d never seen a better defensive third baseman, but Rolen’s offense has declined since a collision with Dodgers first baseman Hee-Seop Choi in May 2005.

The last three years, Rolen has missed 176 games. Most Cardinals wanted La Russa back for a 13th season, and Rolen was one of the lone dissenters.

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Veteran Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo, who won Rookie of the Year honors with his quirky skyward-glancing delivery in the strike-abbreviated 1995 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and who had standout years with the Dodgers in 1996, 2002 and 2003 but who hasn’t pitched at the Major League level since 2005, was reported on a Royals’ press release to have been signed to a minor league contract by the Kansas City Royals which included an invitation to spring training and a shot to make the team.

Nomo was an integral cog in the Dodgers’ 1995 NL West Division crown, their 1996 Wild Card finish.  The Dodgers didn’t advance in post-season play either in 1995 or in 1996 although Nomo and Ramon Martinez were the stalwarts of the Dodgers’ starting rotation throughout both seasons.  Nomo, who has a career mark to date of 123-109 with a 4.21 ERA including two no-hitters (one in each league), struggled in 1998 with the Dodgers and the Mets, went 12-8 in 1999 with the Milwaukee Brewers,  struggled with the Detroit Tigers in 2000 before finishing 13-10 with Boston in 2001 before returning to L.A. in 2002 and 2003 having fine seasons.  But then his ERA exploded in 2004 and 2005 and he left baseball for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The Royals, who have finished last in the AL Central division with disastrous records over the past four seasons since 2003 when they finished 4 games above .500, could use a veteran to add depth to the starting rotation to go along with Brian Bannister (12-9, 3.87 ERA), Zack Greinke  (7-7, 3.69 ERA),  Gil Meche (9-13, 3.67 ERA) and mid-season acquisition Kyle Davies (7-15, 6.09 ERA).

AP Sports writer John Marshall reports for Yahoo sports the reactions of KC’s general manager to the signing as well as his own observations;

“He’s been a successful major league pitcher in the past, and we wanted to give him an opportunity to compete for a job,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Friday. “Any player we bring into major league camp, we feel can compete for a job, and he’s going to get a chance.”

Nomo, who’s had a history of shoulder problems, could fill a spot in the rotation or as a reliever. An added benefit would be mentoring Yasuhiko Yabuta.

If he is added to the major league roster, Nomo would get a $600,000, one-year contract and have the chance to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses.

New Royals manager Trey Hillman spent the past five seasons managing the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan and helped lure Yabuta to Kansas City. The 34-year-old right-hander agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract in November and is expected to compete for a spot as the Royals’ primary setup man.

Nomo’s two no-hitters include the first — and still only — no-hitter in the history of Colorado’s Coors Field in 1996 — a 9-0 win over the Rockies only marred by 4 walks vs 8 strikeouts, and the another, a 3-0 win on April 4, 2001 over Baltimore while pitching for Boston in 2001.  The April 4 date, in the second game of the season,  was the earliest no-hitter ever in MLB history.  Nomo walked 3 while striking out 11.

The Royals press release also notes that “he has made seven starts this winter for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League, compiling a 0-2 record.”

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The Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox pulled the trigger on a deal sending centerfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher to the White Sox in exchange for three minor leaguers from the White Sox system.

AP sports reporter Josh Dubrow reports for Yahoo sports;

The White Sox are hoping that the addition of Swisher will help them rebound from a 72-90 season and get back to the level they were at when they won the 2005 World Series.

The 27-year-old Swisher batted .262 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs in 150 games in 2007, his third full big league season. He also drew 100 walks, ranking him sixth in the AL, for a career-best .381 on-base percentage.

Swisher’s patience could be an important addition to the White Sox, who were last in the majors in 2007 with a .318 on-base percentage.

The interesting thing about Swisher’s stats is that he knows how to work walks.  In 2006, his 2nd full MLB season, he worked 97 walks vs 152 strikeouts while hitting .254 and had a .372 OBP while hitting 35 homers and driving in 95 runs.  In 2007, he worked 100 walks, but cut down his strikeouts to 131.

AP also reports that free agent starting pitcher Matt Clement and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to terms of a 1 year, $1.5M deal laden with incentives.

Clement had missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and had last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006 compiling a 5-5 record in 12 games compiling an 6.61 ERA, on the high side of Adam Eaton.

The AP post reported;

The 33-year-old right-hander is 87-86 with a 4.47 ERA in nine major league seasons with San Diego, Florida, the  Chicago Cubs and Boston. An AL All-Star in 2005 with the Red Sox, he made at least 30 starts in each of his first seven full big league seasons from 1999-2005 before shoulder problems limited him to 12 starts for Boston in 2006.

Clement gets a $1.25 million salary this year and can earn an additional $5.25 million in performance bonuses, receiving the full amount if he pitches 200 innings.

The Cardinals have an $8.75 million option for 2009 with a $250,000 buyout. The option would increase to $9 million and the buyout $500,000 if Clement reaches 160 innings this season; $9.5 million and $1 million for 180 innings; and $10 million and $1.5 million for 200 innings.

The option would become $11 million and the buyout $2 million if Clement finishes in the top five in 2008 Cy Young Award balloting.

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Baseball news over the past few weeks has mostly centered around the bidding for a Johan Santana trade, the Mitchell steroids inquiry and allegations of usage against Roger “the Rocket” Clemens, Barry Bonds,  Andy Pettitte and others as well as the baseball pundits regarding the Hall of Fame Class of 2008. 

Boston slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz, one of Santana’s closest friends  recently indicated to the media that he “doesn’t think Boston will make a deal for the pitcher.”

Meanwhile, new Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner, upon returning to his office after the holidays and working on a possible deal, is quoted by NY Daily News sports writer Anthony McCarron as saying;

“I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “I feel confident they’re not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we’ve already made the best offer.”

Steinbrenner said the offer “does not include two of the three young pitchers” - Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, from a group that also includes untouchable Joba Chamberlain - “but it’s still the best one. And let’s face it, we’re the best able to handle the kind of contract (extension) Santana will be after.”

Steinbrenner would not divulge the Yanks’ offer, but multiple reports have pegged it as Hughes, outfielder Melky Cabrera, pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and another prospect. Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, probably would require a huge extension with his potential new team to waive his no-trade clause. Some reports have said it could be as much as six years for $120 million.

Wow, I can still remember the joint holdouts of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in 1966 where they haggled with the Dodgers and ended up with 1 year deals for a total of roughly 1% of the projected of Santana’ projected pay for a single season.  Drysdale probably made more for his TV segments on the Brady Bunch.

Meanwhile, the Yanks senior vice president Steinbrenner has turned thumbs-down on re-signing steroids allegation-besieged Roger Clemens.  NY Daily News sports writer McCarron reports;

“I’m not signing Clemens,” Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ senior vice president, said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said the Yanks are not looking for rotation stopgaps - like they were last season - because they are so enamored of their young starting pitchers. And Steinbrenner feels the Yanks already have a strong mentor to the young arms in Andy Pettitte, whom Steinbrenner praised for his “veteran leadership.

“Andy is (signed) for one year and he’s only 35 and he knows how to pitch in the big games,” Steinbrenner said. “Roger does, too, but let’s face it, he’s going to be 46 (in August).

“Pettitte is just as good with the young pitchers, though Clemens was great with the young kids last year. I don’t think Roger is going to come back anyway.”

Hmmm, Clemens not signed for 2008?  How would “the Rocket” look in red pinstripes?  Perhaps mentoring young lefty ace Cole Hamels and spot starting instead of Adam Eaton and his nuclear mushroom ERA?  But, alas, I don’t think that the Phillies have $28M for a handful of starts.

And speaking of HGH and other steroids, I’m just bored to tears with all of the Mitchell investigations’ machinations regarding Clemens and the others.  Aside from tangently mentioning the HGH/steroids issue here, this blog steers clear of all such steriods discussion and conjecture and sticks to MLB purism.

Personally, I’d rather see a few certain “too tired” political leaders shot up with steroids — it might endow them with some strong backbone.

And here are some of the Hall of Fame 2008 class of candidates.  We once again find lefthanded starter Tommy John, imposing reliever Goose Gossage, outfielders Jim Rice, slugger Mark McGwire, Andre “the Hawk” Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, shortstop Dave Concepcion and Dave Parker all vying for the Hall along  with first-time candidates shortstop Shawon Dunston and pitcher Jack Morris, base-stealer extraordinaire Tim Raines and dominant reliever Robb Nen.

Tuesday, January 8 is Hall of Fame selection announcement day.  As always, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” should be interesting.

Finally, I’m waiting for the 2008 version of Jimmy Rollins setting the stage announcement that the Phillies are once again the team to beat in the NL East.  See ya Mets, wouldn’t wanna be ya!

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